An opposition Congo politician is sentenced to 1 year in prison for inciting civil disobedience

KINSHASA, Congo — A Congolese opposition politician was sentenced to one year in prison for inciting civil disobedience in what his political party described as a “blatant attempt” by the government to silence its critics.

Seth Kikuni, the president of the political party Piste pour l’Emergence, was convicted of inciting disobedience and spreading false rumors during a rally held in September in Lubumbashi, in the southwest of Congo, a court in Kinshasa said Wednesday evening.

Kikuni's lawyer said he would appeal the court's decision.

In September, Kikuni told supporters during a rally that they should have no fear and stand up to the reelected President Félix Tshsekedi, whom he accused of falsifying the election results.

Kikuni was arrested in Kinshasa on Sept. 2 by agents of the National Intelligence Agency before he was handed over to a judge and transferred to the central prison of Makala in Kinshasa, notorious for overcrowding and poor conditions.

His lawyers pleaded not guilty, arguing that Kikuni was acting in the capacity of an opposition politician.

His party said the sentence was “a blatant attempt to silence a critical voice in an increasingly tense political context" and described his trial as a parody of justice.

“The Congolese justice system has sentenced my client Seth Kikuni to one year in prison," said Kikuni's lawyer Laurent Onyemba.

President Tshisekedi was reelected in December and has spent much of his time in office trying to gain legitimacy after a disputed 2018 election while struggling to put an end to the armed conflict in the country’s east.

Last month, he announced a national commission would be set up next year to draft a new constitution for the country, raising concern among the opposition that he may alter the presidential term limit.